By Curtis Creekmore
As fears of terrorism and biological warfare continue to rise, countries around the world have begun to prepare for possible attacks. The United States is no different, funding 10 new regional biosafety labs, including one on U of L’s Shelby Campus.
The $22 million level 3 Regional Biosafety Lab, named the Center for Predictive Medicine, will be built with the intent to create new vaccines and combat bioterrorism and infectious diseases.
The National Institutes of Health selected U of L to receive the award out of a large number of universities across the United States.
“[Their decision] is an outstanding endorsement of U of L’s expertise and research capacity,” said Ellen de Graffenreid, director of Health Sciences communication.
Graffenreid said the Massachusettes Institute of Technology, University of Pittsburgh, John Hopkins University and Emory University also received awards.
She said that the laboratory would give the Health Sciences campus new research capabilities, add new jobs and help find answers to problems such as treating infectious diseases. She said the research could eventually lead to commercial benefits.
Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the NIH, the Center for Predictive Medicine will include scientists studying how certain diseases attack human immune systems and how those diseases can be fought, as well as how to more effectively battle diseases like tuberculosis. Several U of L scientists and researchers are currently working developing hypotheses and experiments dealing with such criteria.
The laboratory will be located at the university’s Shelby Campus on a 4.2-acre plot encompassing nearly 45,000 square feet. The lab will be situated on the campus’s northeast corner, designed with the newest features possible and built following meticulous safety precautions.
Now, subsequent to receiving the grant that was applied for in December, an examination will be arranged by the NIH to decide what type of environmental review is necessary before construction begins. The pre-examination is planned for October, and the scheduled date for opening to workers is August 2009.
